The Jeremy Lin saga (or mystery, or tragedy–take your pick) continues in Los Angeles. Since it’s Tinseltown let’s look at the screenplay. The mercurial villain–and evil denier of playing time–is head coach Byron Scott. With a gleaming head and tiny mustache, B. Scott once held great power in this smog-filled universe. But that was many years ago when players wore very short shorts. There wasn’t even a Staples Center back then. Scott’s return has plunged the Lakers universe into darkness.
The hero is Jeremy Lin, held down by forces beyond his control. Since he looks (and plays) like no other player in the league, the hero Lin confounds B. Scott, who doesn’t know what to do with him. Lin can score and pass, but like all great heroes he has an Achilles heel–he sometimes allows his opponent to score. The hero often shows signs of brilliance–much as he has displayed in previous lives–but B. Scott irrationally fears this. B. Scott would rather lose games–as many as possible–than see this unusual player succeed and usher in a world he doesn’t understand. So Jeremy Lin plays just 22 minutes against the pathetic, league-worst New York Knicks–and the Lakers lose at home 101-94. In his 22 minutes Lin scored 14 points and had 7 assists.
